


Recipe for a beginning

by RumAndCloak



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 08:51:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14132535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RumAndCloak/pseuds/RumAndCloak
Summary: Lena accidentally trips a memory from Kara's past, and figures out a way to bring back a bit of home.





	Recipe for a beginning

Lena: Do you ever find yourself in a meeting, wondering how long it would take them all to notice you’d left?

Kara: Haha no why

Lena: So far it’s been 20 minutes. ☺

Kara: Are you serious?

Kara: You are impressively sneaky

Lena: #Luthor

Kara: :/

Lena: Anyway, since my evening has opened up, would you like to grab dinner at that new Thai place near you?

Kara: Aw, raincheck?

Kara: Alex was gonna come over

Kara: But you could join us!

Lena: Oh no, I don’t want to intrude on sister time. Let’s catch up soon though.

Lena: Outside the office, I mean.

Kara: Sounds great! 

 

Kara set her phone on the kitchen island and took a deep breath. As much as she’d have loved to see Lena, she wouldn’t have really been up for going out tonight. Not with the week she’d had. There was a particularly slippery rogue alien that had gotten away from her and the DEO three times last week before Alex and J’onn’s ingenious trap had finally allowed them to apprehend him. That, and a looming deadline for an interview with a local chamber of commerce member who’d become inordinately fond of the phrase “no comment”.   
And on top of it all, she hadn’t been sleeping well. More and more, she’d been dreaming of home. Krypton. But the dreams were twisted. Different. Full of details she could swear weren’t right.   
She’d been wryly proud of herself for not allowing any of this to show at work. But Alex couldn’t be fooled so easily. Even if she hadn’t known what was wrong, she knew something was.   
And that was why she was on her way over tonight. Kara’d finally agreed to open up after Alex threatened to go to Lena with a sob story about a sick aunt. Whatever it took, she said, to get Kara out of work until she agreed to take care of herself for once.  
Why was everyone she knew so sneaky?

Her phone buzzed, spinning slightly on the counter. 

Alex: Kara I’m sorry but Sam got stuck with a work emergency and Ruby needs a ride to her game

Alex: I’ll be over ASAP but it’s out of town

Alex: So it’ll be late but I’ll be there

Kara: No it’s okay

Kara: I just talked to Lena and she wanted to grab dinner so I’ll just let her know I’m free after all

Alex: You’re really okay? 

Kara: Yeah, go enjoy the game. Cheer extra loud for me!

Alex: Really though

Kara: OMG really

Alex: Okay but you’re not getting out of talking to me about whatever’s going on. Just delaying the inevitable. Call me right away if anything changes though, all right?

Kara: I will.

Alex: Love you Kar

Kara: Love you Al

Alex: Ew, don’t

Kara: You started it

 

Kara re-opened her conversation with Lena, hoping she hadn’t already made other plans.

 

Kara: Hey actually Alex can’t make it. Wanna meet here and walk over?

Lena: Sure! 

Lena: You like presents, don’t you?

Kara: Presents?!?

 

The only reply was a winking emoji. Kara sighed exasperatedly, but there was a smile on her face. She could suffer through a night out, despite her mental and emotional exhaustion, if Lena was there. If it were just about anybody else, she’d have just curled up on the couch with her good friends Netflix and Insomnia.  
She was folding up the blankets on the couch (so it wouldn’t be obvious that was where she’d eventually fallen into fitful sleep each night that week) when there was a knock at the door.

“Hey,” she said, a smile lighting her face despite herself, as Lena crossed the threshold.  
“Hey yourself. Thanks for letting me kidnap you on short notice. Brought you something to make up for it, though.”

Lena produced a brown paper bag swinging from a single finger. A curling script proclaimed that it was from Chang’s, a rather upscale restaurant on the far north side of the city.

“I thought I could at least buy you an appetizer for waiting for me to get all the way over here. I was at the Hilton just across the street from the restaurant, and I heard they have amazing potstickers.”  
The smell coming from the bag was divine. Kara gulped and her smile twitched a bit, but she forced it back into place.   
Not soon enough, though.

“Is something wrong?” Lena asked, her relaxed grin transforming into a frown.  
“Nope, no! Hey, thanks, these smell great. Maybe we should just head to the restaurant though, it’s getting late.” She reached for her coat.  
“It’s 6:15. Kara,” Lena fixed her with a stare, setting the bag down on the floor, partially concealed by her body. “You just turned down potstickers. What is it?”

Kara fumbled for an excuse, but the look on Lena’s face had her shoulders drooping instead.

“Shall we sit down for a bit?” Lena asked quietly.  
Kara nodded, and they made their way over to the couch. Lena draped her coat over the armrest and waited.

“It’s not the potstickers. Thank you, really. I just… lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about home recently. Before I came to Midvale to live with the Danvers’. My parents. And it’s… it’s so strange, but I’ll be dreaming about it, and my bedroom is wrong. The windows never looked like that, I don’t recognize the clothes in my closet, things like that. And I’m realizing that other things I don’t… I can’t remember as clearly as I used to.”  
Lena placed a hand on her knee, urging her to continue.  
“But some things are still really, really clear, and hit me at funny times, you know? I was on the far north side a few months ago for… I, uh, took the wrong bus. And ended up outside Chang’s, and, well, potstickers.” She gestured at the bag by the door.  
“But as I was walking back to the bus stop, I popped one in my mouth, and…” She sighed. “It was just so similar to one of my mom’s recipes. I guess I hadn’t realized that’s why they’re one of my favorite foods, but no others had come that close before. It just kind of brought me back. For awhile I’d make the trip up there for them specifically, for that reason. When I was feeling lost. But recently… it’s been different. I’m sorry, Lena, it was just… a lot right now.”

Lena smiled softly. “Don’t apologize. Thank you for explaining. I can get rid of them if you want.”  
Kara shook her head, returning the smile. “No, it’s okay. Maybe just put them away for later?”  
Lena nodded and got up to place the bag in the fridge. When she returned, she looked down at Kara, who was staring out the window, hands clasped in her lap. 

“Can I ask you something?” Lena said, sitting.  
“Sure.”  
“Do you know what it is about them that makes them… remind you so much of when your mother made them?”  
“Actually, my dad usually made them. He did most of the cooking, but it was my mom’s family recipe. He’d make them, and she’d always taste the first one and smile and tell him he’d gotten it perfect. I never saw what went into them.”   
“That’s really sweet. It’s not about the pot stickers at all, is it?”  
Kara laughed. “Well, they are delicious.”  
She looked out the window again. “I think it’s that Chang’s makes them with a sweeter dough, and the filling is…” she frowned.

“I have an idea,” Lena said, “And you can say no, of course. But why don’t we stay in tonight? Will you trust me?”  
“But you wanted to try—“  
“The Thai place will still be there next week.”  
“You never know in this city.”  
“I’ve got more faith in Supergirl than that.” Lena pulled a tablet out of her purse. “Give me just a moment. Want to put on some music? A show?”  
Kara nodded, curious but willing to trust Lena, who she watched pacing the kitchen with the determined sort of posture she had when she’d been set an interesting engineering problem. Kara picked a baking competition show and pulled a blanket up over her legs.  
When Lena rejoined her, she smiled fondly, but sat down without a word. 

About half an hour later, there was another knock at the door.   
“I’ll get it. You stay here,” Lena said, rising.  
Kara watched with interest as Lena stepped aside to allow a man and a woman in yellow polo shirts inside, laden with heavy-looking grocery bags. Kara could see the green tops of carrots sticking out of one bag, and celery stalks out of another.   
Lena slipped them each a tip and shut the door, looking back at Kara, who had risen from the couch with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders like a cape.  
“Lena? What’s all this?”  
She could swear Lena nearly blushed. “Well, I thought I’d… you said the potstickers from Chang’s were close, so I thought maybe I could… use them as a template to recreate your mother’s recipe. If you’d like to help? Be my taste-tester?”  
Kara looked at Lena in wonder. “Are you going to reverse-engineer my mom’s recipe?”  
“Well, I’ve got that whole degree just sitting there on my wall. And a minor in chemistry. So…”  
Kara put her arms around Lena in a blanket-wrapped hug.  
“Unless it’s overstepping.”  
“Hush. No, it’s perfect. Thank you.” Kara sniffled.  
Lena held her until Kara stepped back, wiping at her eyes.  
“Right, so. What can I do?”  
“Grab our baseline samples from the fridge?”  
Kara smiled. “You got it, boss.”  
“Hey now.”

 

Feeling distinctly less apprehensive, Kara opened the still-slightly-warm package and breathed in the scent of the dumplings. Lena had started arranging ingredients on the counters and kitchen island.  
She picked up a potsticker between her fingers, bringing it to her mouth and closing her eyes. She tried to remember just how it had tasted back on Krypton. How the wrapping had slipped over her tongue. The savory and sweet flavors of the filling. The texture of the meat and vegetables.   
Chang’s chefs had somehow divined perfection from across galaxies, and Kara found that when she focused, she could pinpoint the subtle differences that set these apart from the steaming dumplings she’d reached for at the family table as a child. 

“The dough was definitely sweeter, but not a lot. And the meat was really fine, like more of a paste.”

Lena nodded, making notes on her tablet.   
“That’s great, Kara. Okay,” She swiped across the screen. “I think I’d like to try a bit of honey in the dough—what do you think? And according to the recipe these are a mix of pork and chicken. Does that seem close? We can try beef, turkey, tofu… I can always order something else if inspiration strikes.” She pulled a food processor out of one of the bags and reached toward packages of ground meat and sausage.  
Kara peeked at the tablet she’d set on the counter and her eyes widened.  
“Did you get Chang’s to give you their recipe?!”  
Lena just smiled, arranging cooking utensils and cutting boards with deft hands.  
“How?”  
“I… bought it.”  
“The recipe?”  
“Chang’s.”  
“LENA!”  
“It was key information to solve the problem. Have another potsticker,” she suggested, hiding her blushing face. “I need to know about the vegetables next.”

 

Kara hadn’t spent much time observing Lena in her lab, but seeing her here in her kitchen now, she could imagine it. Her hands moved constantly, always with purpose. Each slight variation in ingredients, proportions, spices, cooking time, and method was meticulously documented and Kara’s input informed every alteration. She changed gears, adjusted plans at a moment’s notice, seemingly finding inspiration in successes and failures alike. 

As they ran low on their “baseline” samples, Lena paused to tap her tablet and have two more orders sent their way, as well a few additional ingredients to expand their options. 

“Aren’t you hungry?” Kara asked, noticing the clock.  
Lena grinned, stirring a pot of filling. It smelled glorious. Kara distracted herself by scrubbing a used pot.  
“I’ve been sneaking the rejects,” she replied, snapping a bit of carrot between her teeth.  
“Sneaking again, huh?”  
“Luthor,” she shrugged, chewing.  
A dish towel hit her in the shoulder with impressive precision.

 

Some time after midnight, Lena removed what they had agreed would be the last batch of the night. Kara shot off a quick text in reply to Alex, confirming that she was doing just fine and would meet her the following day.   
Lena set a plate in front of each of them.   
“Okay,” she said, “these are grilled, with a filling of pork sausage, chicken, Brussels sprout, purple carrot, pink lady apple, and scallion with miso paste, black garlic, mirin, and white pepper, wrapped in steamed bok choy before wrapping in a rice flour and spelt dough with honey. Moment of truth,” she said, raising the dumpling between her fingers.  
Kara bumped her dumpling against Lena’s in a toast. 

This evening with Lena, despite the obvious skirting of the emotional minefield of her childhood memories, already felt like a balm. She’d tasted dozens of potstickers, each close to those that hovered at the edges of her memory, and the panic she’d felt at the beginning of the evening upon seeing the bag from Chang’s was nowhere to be found. She even felt her eyelids beginning to itch with the desire for sleep; a feeling that had eluded her all week.   
When her teeth cut the dumpling in half with her first bite, the flavors flooding her tongue, her eyelids snapped shut. 

 

A red sun sank on the horizon, just beyond the low walls of the second-story patio. She sat, knees tucked under her, on a chair too high for her feet to have touched the ground. To her left, her mother brought a delicate mouthful to her lips as her father looked on at her right. Her mother’s jaw moved gently, and a smile broke across her lips as she swallowed.  
“Perfect as always, my love.”

 

When Kara opened her eyes, tears had drawn light trails down her cheeks. Lena’s hand covered her own on the table.   
“Thank you,” she whispered.  
Lena’s hand squeezed lightly over hers.  
“Kara, you are without a doubt the best friend I’ve ever had. Don’t tell supergirl.”   
Kara huffed a laugh, sniffling and wiping at her eyes with a sleeve.  
“I can’t… fly around the world backwards and turn back time to give you more time with them,” Lena continued, “but I can waltz into your kitchen and make a really impressive mess.”   
Kara smiled softly. “Supergirl could never have done this for me.”  
“Tell me about them? If you want,” Lena offered, lacing her fingers with Kara’s.  
“I do.”


End file.
